Ethics

Ok,so I have no intention of preaching but at the moment I work for a nursery that buy in all their stock, mostly from abroad and so generally from plant warehouses rather than nurseries and I do not get how that can be good for the environment. Lots of the Dutch/Belgian plant dealers buy in stock that has often originated in the far east,opening up risk of all sorts of pests and diseases appearing that would otherwise never survive the swim from their place of origin. Why do people do this,I ask myself,when there are so many nurseries in the UK that produce beautiful plants that are well grown with care and attention?

The answer,as I see it is this. Proper nursery people are in it for the plants, and lets face it, its really exciting to grow something stunning and never fails to bring a grin on!! But to some plants are merely a commodity to make money and this is so sad I cant even put it into words.So the answer-dont go to places that are plant warehouses, seek out your local nurseries,who will be able to give you more advice than you could ever need, and ask where plants have been bought from. If you dont like the answer then go elsewhere and tell them why!!!!And look out plant fairs where the really small nurseries, including hopefully us at some of them this year,where you can talk plants to your hearts content with lots of different nurserymen. And if you find us there come say hi.

Ok-Im off the soapbox now and would like to share with all that the Chillis are looking good and at the weekend the sowing bonanza will continue with .......well Ill tell you next time and produce some photos of whats growing now.

In the meantime Im off to order more seeds, this time from Jungle Seeds who are really worth a look at online @jungleseeds.co.uk. I will try to be restrained but really.......no chance!!

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Soup er Mix

I dont know about you, but Im very much in the mood to do some preserving! This recipe comes to us courtesy of one of our all-time favorite canning books, The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin. So. Many. Good. Recipes. And this former-professional-canner-turned-cookbook-author knows her stuff, imparting knowledge while also turning food preserving into a pleasurable activity, rather than inducing a mild sense of terror that youll mess up in some subtle way and kill everyone you love. Not that I ever have that fear when reading American canning books. Ahem.

Anyway, as with most of her recipes, Corbin allows for substitutions; in this case her variations might include young turnips, shallots, celery, rutabagas, beets, or peppers, as well as many herbs. But the ingredients listed below form her suggested, go-to soup base (and just in case youre wondering, its filed under celery because we substitute celery root for actual celery). She also notes that youll want to use veggies and herbs that have the strongest taste and scent you can find.

Souper Mix

 

Makes three to four 8 oz. jars

 

9 oz. leeks

7 oz. fennel

7 oz. carrot

9 oz. celery root (or celery)

2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes

2 or 3 garlic cloves

3.5 oz. parsley

3.5 oz. cilantro

3/4 c. plus 1T salt

 

Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend together. The result will be a moist, granular paste. Spoon into sterilized jars and seal with vinegar-proof lids. Keep one jar of the mix in the fridge for everyday use, while the rest can be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place. Use within 6 months.

 

To use the souper mix, just stir about 1 teaspoon of it into 1 cup of hot water.

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